SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The family of a 15-year-old girl will lose necessary in-home nursing
care just days before the holidays as a result of The Boeing Company
making a unilateral amendment to medical plans with the Society of
Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local
2001.

“Boeing did not negotiate this change with SPEEA,” said Ray Goforth,
SPEEA executive director. “I cannot overstate how irresponsible this is
for Boeing to give this family 10 days notice they are cancelling the
medical care they have come to depend on.”

The youth, who suffers cerebral palsy and other disabilities, requires
assistance with breathing, feeding, medication, repositioning and daily
living tasks. The medical plan will no longer cover the family’s in-home
care after Saturday (Dec. 22).

Since Boeing self-funds its employee medical plans, every penny the
company does not pay out for medical services is another penny of
corporate profit.

“This is why we work so hard in negotiations to get details nailed down
in the contract,” said Tom McCarty, SPEEA president. “Members shouldn’t
have to worry that this could happen to them.”

The SPEEA contract expired after being extended to Nov. 25. Talks are
scheduled to resume Jan. 9. With members frustrated by Boeing’s push to
cut raise pools, shift medical costs onto employees and eliminate the
pension for future hires, the union is preparing for a possible strike.
Three training sessions have already been held for potential picket
captains. A fourth session is scheduled after the New Year. A strike by
SPEEA would keep 15,550 engineers and 7,400 technical workers off the
job and stop Boeing from delivering aircraft.

A local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical
Engineers (IFPTE), SPEEA represents 26,560 aerospace professionals at
Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan., and Triumph Composite
Systems, Inc. in Spokane, Wash.